In this article, we looks at some of the best ways to get your music on the most popular digital music streaming services.
Streaming your Music
With times changing and technology advancing rapidly the way in which we consume music has also evolved to meet current times and preferences. Streaming your music has now become a key tool used by musicians all across the world in order to showcase their music to a global audience without the added involvement of a recording label and/or the need for physical release. You may be familiar with some of the more popular streaming services such as Apple Music, Spotify or Tidal, however in order to get your music onto one of these digital platforms you must first get a digital music aggregator. A digital aggregator is a company that helps you distribute your music through digital stores and streaming platforms. As an artist you would upload your music to the aggregator website who would then distribute your music on your behalf. Aggregators can make their money in one of two ways; First by taking a percentage of the royalties you make, or secondly with an upfront fee. Be sure to carefully read and understand the terms of the aggregator as some companies may require a repeat fee every so often for keeping your music active.
Different Aggregators
Much like any other service known to man there is always more than one option or organisation to go with. Below we have listed some of the more popular and reliable aggregators and what benefits they provide. Some distributors may work better for different individuals depending on their requirements and budget
Distrokid
Distrokid is one of the most desired music distribution services among musicians and recording artists. Distrokid gives you unlimited music uploads and will distribute your music via all major streaming platforms, they also allow artists to keep 100% of their royalties which can be a rare advantage these days. Distrokid charges an annual fee of £14.49 for their service.
Amuse
Amuse is another preferred distributor within the music world. This is mainly due to the fact that they offer a completely FREE service that gets your music onto all the music stores and streaming platforms that actually matter! These are outlets such as Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Tidal, Amazon Music, Deezer, Shazam and many more.
Amuse is also the only free music distribution service that allows you to release music directly from your mobile phone device using their digital app. This allows artists to manage their music on-the-go! With the option to upload new audio tracks, display new artwork covers and analyse performance statistics, you can see why Amuse is such a desired distributor.
Tunecore
Tunecore distributes your music to over 150 digital stores and streaming platforms. Unlike Amuse, Tunecore does charge a small fee for their services. For a flat fee of £7.50 per single or £29.99 per album artists can choose how many songs or projects they wish to upload depending on their budget., TuneCore artists keep 100% of the profits they earn from sales, downloads, and streaming revenue.
Ditto
Ditto offers a wide range of different distribution packages. These are designed to cater for all different types of musicians who may all be at different stages within their music career. Whether you are an independent artist, a management service and/or a record label Ditto provides many different distribution avenues. Ditto does charge an annual fee, this cost starts from £18 however despite which package you opt in ALL artists are given 100% of their royalties.
Which platforms should I target?
With so many different platforms that all offer beneficial packages you may be torn on which way to go. Being that all the main distributors distribute music to practically all the same streaming platforms it comes down to a question of preference, budget and intent. For instance, If you have the available funds you may wish to go with a distributor that charges, there can be benefits to this such as royalty entitlements however it is possible to find free services that allow you the rights to your royalties also. If you are less willing or able to pay for distribution services you may wish to go for a free service. Some artists may select a particular distributor based on their popularity in their specific location or region. In some places such as the middle east and in some African nations you'd find deeza to be a more popular streaming site therefore distributors offering better packages via Deeza would be more desirable.Most aggregators publish their performance stats so you should also research eash platforms reach and engagement before making your decision.
How much do different services pay?
The amount paid from different distribution services can vary greatly. Below you’ll find a table showing the average payment made per play from some of the major music streaming service providers.
@Earpluguk